New Delhi: The International cricket is set to resume when Jason Holder's West Indies Test team will take on Ben Stoke's English side from July 8 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, England.


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Interim captain Ben Stokes has been given charge for the first Test as Joe Root has to be with his wife, Carrie, who is expecting their second child.

Stokes will become England's 81st Test captain.


The return of international cricket after more than three months of COVID-19 halt will see both teams competing in a three-match Test series.


Holder will be leading the West Indies side for the 33rd time in the white jersey and will aim to win the series as his team has not won a series in England since 1988.


He is also the World's no 1 Test all-rounder and will look to hold on to his position against Ben Stokes who is at the second spot.

The West Indies skipper is also 102 runs shy of becoming only the third Caribbean player to achieve the double of 2,000 runs and 100 wickets.


As far as the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) is concerned where the Indian team is topping the table with 360 points in 4 series, the English side will look forward to overtake New Zealand that has played three series and has 180 points.


England have so far played two series in the WTC and has 146 points. 


West Indies, on the other hand, will try to open their account on the WTC (2019-21) points table.


Each series of the WTC is worth 120 points, distributed evenly over the number of matches in a series. 


The points range from 60 points for each match of a two-match Test series to 24 for each match of a five-match Test series. 


ICC's new changes to its playing regulations including the ban of saliva to shine the ball and allowing replacement of players displaying symptoms of COVID-19 during a Test match will also come into play from the first match.


Schedule:


1st Test: July 8-12, Ageas Bowl, Southampton
2nd Test: July 16-20, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
3rd Test: July 24-28, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester


Telecast details:


All the three matches will start at 3:30 PM IST. The matches will have a live telecast on Sony Six and can also be watched live on the Sony LIV app.


Full squad:


England: Ben Stokes (C), James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Joe Denly, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood


West Indies: Jason Holder (C), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich (WKT), Shannon Gabriel, Chemar Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach